Navan is not where I expected to be this afternoon, but I suppose it was better to find out early in the week at home that Un De Sceaux was a bit flat than when leaving the Railway Fences and wondering why he wasn’t picking up going to the Pond Fence.

Bryan Cooper, only in his third month as first jockey to Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud, faces a four to six month spell on the sidelines, after breaking his leg at Cheltenham yesterday.

Dan Skelton’s arrival to the training ranks has been little less than astonishing as Willow’s Saviour brought about his 15th and considerably most important winner in The Ladbroke at Ascot.

Irish interests in the 23-strong field for Saturday’s hugely prestigious Hennessy Gold Cupstaying handicap at Newbury are spiked by the likely participation of last season’s RSA Chase winner Lord Windermere, who represents the Jim Culloty team.